Contagion: A Review

Ordering a glass of water from your favorite restaurant, pulling the handle to stop the bus at your stop, hugging a friend at the airport. Who knew such mundane acts could lead to widespread suffering and death? Um, zombie enthusiasts for one.

Tonight, my husband and I went to see Contagion. It was a lovely attempt to make me feel better (and it did for the hour and forty-five minutes of playing time) and in general, a decent film. The casting had more A-listers than Sunday night's Emmys and the plot, which required the unraveling of a lengthy amount of time, moved quite smoothly and terrifyingly as the world swiftly found itself infected by one of the most serious epidemics in the last 100 years. The film explored not only the physical illness but the internal one stemming from desperation, greed, and selfishness. Matt Damon was the most obvious commenter (is anyone surprised) on the lack of humanity present when real travesty stabs at the heart of civilization as he attempts to protect his daughter from disease and dates. Laurence Fishburne must make those difficult decisions only an individual in power and in the know how find themselves in-- save a loved one or save the populace--as he gracefully heads the hunt against this terrible virus and finds himself in opposition to a most annoying Jude Law (really, it was the tooth that did me in).

But, what does this have to do with zombies?

Well, everything! No, in reality, one could probably exchange the mysterious flu-ish illness of Contagion with a zombie outbreak and expect very similar results: the swift spread of the disease, humanity at its best and worst, and the quite overwhelming sense that we may just be in trouble should something like this really get out in the big, breathing world.

There was violence in the film (as I expected) from looters and scared, dying citizens; however, there was much less than I would have anticipated. I wonder if the director (and perhaps Matt Damon) believed people would act more humane than I suppose a zombie fan might. They could be right. I mean, most viruses tend to leave some alive unlike a majority of our fictional zombie "flus." I might be willing to help a neighbor out a little more if I knew the potential for a cure or survival even existed. This is not a plot spoiler--I just mean that any virus other than a zombie one seems likely to me to be curable/survivable. Perhaps, I'm a cynic or maybe I'll be restarting civilization after the walkers are all laid down to rest. You know, permanently.

Regardless, the film was smartly written and edited and was a joy to experience. The acting engaged me and the film refused to hold back any of its social criticism.

As a zombite (try to figure that one out in your head), I most certainly wriggled in anticipation to see this film and was not disappointed. However, when the zombies come a callin', I just don't expect things to be so pretty.